dev1ce is back in Astralis, here’s the team’s new roster

Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz took a short break for health reasons but Astralis now says that he’s fit and ready to begin competing again. That’s bad news for one player, though.

With the highs and lows of competing in the Perfect World Shanghai Major, several teams have been considering major adjustments to their rosters. Both Fnatic and Virtus.pro are potentially looking at team revamps or potentially disbanding their current lineups. But one team is hoping that a return to the status quo will bring them more luck in qualifying for the next major.

World-renowned AWPer dev1ce will be back on the Astralis roster despite health issues keeping him from the Shanghai Major. Fan reactions, however, are mixed.

dev1ce returns to Astralis after brief hiatus

Only a few weeks since announcing his departure, dev1ce is set to return to action  on Astralis’ roster.

The official Astralis X account posted that dev1ce would be returning to the team in 2025. Further information in a blog post added that the player has recovered from his health issues and is fully committing back to the team. dev1ce and the rest of Astralis will be regrouping after the holidays. Notably, returning in 2025 was always part of the original plan.

dev1ce announced that he would be taking a break from CS2 in November 2024. The player cited numerous health issues including cramps, fatigue, heart palpitations, and insomnia. In conjunction with his medical team, he came to the conclusion that he needed to rest rather than compete in the Shanghai Major. dev1ce furthermore expressed regret at letting down both his teammates and fans in his original post.

A number of fans are skeptical about dev1ce’s speedy recovery and return to Astralis. The organization has previously been criticized for its handling of players in the past. From 2020 to 2022, Astralis was the subject of regular reports on burnout within its Counter-Strike roster due to its intense competitive schedule. Fans are also upset about Astralis’s treatment of Alexander “br0” Bro throughout the year and see this as yet another slight.

br0 is out of Astralis..again

br0 has been removed from the Astralis roster yet again.

This time, however, the br0-Astralis break-up seems to be permanent. In the same post, Astralis confirmed that br0 would not be continuing with the team. The organization says this was a mutual agreement between the two parties. The team account also acknowledged his valuable contribution during the Perfect World European RMRs.

Astralis benched br0 in September at the BLAST Premier Fall Final, stirring up major issues. The team claimed br0 was unfit to compete due to a medical emergency, something that br0’s manager denied. This claim allowed the team to make a late substitution despite the event’s rules regarding roster changes. Competitors at the event on other teams stated on social media that they skipped BLAST media day in protest.

Hopefully, the newly minted free agent will be able to find a steadier spot on a roster than what’s been seen with Astralis. Prior reporting suggest that ENCE may be interested. Additionally, dev1ce continues to feel better and doesn’t burn out again before the next major.